As One
by cuore ridente
Summary: Taichi drags Koushirou to a party he doesn't even want to attend. But a few drinks and some loosened inhibitions can lead to some pretty unpredictable results, which is very much the case for the two best friends. Taishirou. Yaoi, cursing, lemon. Edited.


As One

~*~

Koushirou didn't even want to go to the party.

He stared at himself in Taichi's full-length mirror as his tall, wild-haired friend flung outfit after outfit at him.

"If you think I'll make a fool of myself, Taichi-san," Koushirou murmured a bit angrily, "then maybe I just shouldn't go to the party."

Taichi shot him a hard, fiery glance. "It took enough pleading with Nakagawa-san to even _allow_ you to come to this party. Don't back out on me now."

Koushirou sighed in exasperation as he turned back to the mirror, unfamiliar with the teenage boy – in a pair of Taichi's old jeans – that looked back at him frustratingly over his shoulder. It disgusted him, the way Taichi called that good-for-nothing, drunkard, idiot "Nakagawa-san." He was not such a respectable person in Koushirou's eyes. Hold giant parties, play beer pong, sleep around, that's what Nakagawa Kentaro did. Being friends with him had earned Taichi a patch of popularity and a few hangovers, nothing more.

Koushirou shuddered at the time that Taichi had shown up at his house, completely smashed, his words slurred and his bearings lost. Koushirou had nursed him, begrudgingly, for he could not bear to see Taichi in such a state. His heart would not let him slam the door in Taichi's face – what he should have done, to teach him a lesson. But he spent all night giving him herbal tea, warm blankets, and – god forbid Taichi ever found this out – stroked his hair while he slept. Koushirou refused to let go of the memories of Taichi that had, so long ago, made him fall head-over-heels for him.

Of course, Taichi had changed long since then. He used to be quite the free spirit, brushing off trends with the wave of his hand and laughing at the ridiculous gossip that whirled around the school. But now, he was throwing Tokyo's latest fashions at Koushirou and muttering how Nakagawa-san was going to spread violent rumors about him if he didn't show up. Koushirou couldn't help but wonder, if that was the case, why Taichi considered someone like that to be his "friend."

Koushirou knew that the Taichi he adored was trapped inside the shell that had formed around him – the façade that he had created for those he tried so hard to impress. But when the Chosen Children had a get-together, Koushirou saw how, piece by piece, that shell would chip away, and the Yagami Taichi that Koushirou knew would be reborn. And Koushirou would dream peacefully that night, savoring the precious memories of that day, until back at school, the shell would be as good as new.

Koushirou tugged at the bottom of the green polo he wore, feeling slightly more comfortable in one of his usual colors. Taichi emerged from the depths of his closet and sighed as he surveyed Koushirou's outfit.

"It's fine, whatever. Let's just go."

Dutifully, Koushirou nodded and tucked his cell phone into his jeans pocket. He took one last glance of the boy in the mirror.

_That's not me_, he thought to himself sadly.

He followed Taichi to the kitchen, feeling downtrodden, dreading the following hours to come. Hikari was watching TV, and she looked up when the boys walked in. She raised an eyebrow when her eyes laid upon Koushirou, who gave her a look that expressed incarceration, yet a longing. Hikari's eyes softened knowingly, and she returned a quiet, sorrowful gaze.

"Come on, Koushirou, don't wanna be late." Taichi grabbed his keys, opened the front door, and said farewell to his sister as Koushirou walked past him. "See you, Hikari."

The younger girl rolled her eyes as she gave a half-hearted, "Have fun," knowing that Taichi's sort of fun consisted of things once disgraceful to him.

~*~

When Taichi backed out of the parking space, Koushirou couldn't help but comment again, "I still don't know why you want me to come to this party."

"For the last time," Taichi said exasperatingly, "it's for your own good."

"How so?" Koushirou inquired, his gaze hard as he stared out the window at the passing lights.

Taichi hesitated before replying, "Don't you want to make friends?"

"The ones going to this party aren't the kind I had in mind."

"Aww, come on, they're not so bad once you get to know them." Taichi tried to give him a reassuring grin.

"That's a lie and you know it," Koushirou shot back. "Nakagawa, who does nothing but drink, Ikeda, who sells pornographic magazines to middle school-age kids, Keiko, who's thrown herself at you on more than one occasion-"

"I didn't give in! She's a whore!"

"Yeah, but you still hang out with her!"

Taichi braked at a stop sign and looked at Koushirou, his eyes serious, his face like a stone.

"Koushirou, I don't hang out with them like I hang out with you."

"The fact that you even associate with them makes me sick." Koushirou glared at him boldly.

Taichi looked away as he drove on again. "Just...just try to have some fun, okay?"

Koushirou gave an amused "ha!" "Right. Sure, Taichi-san."

He expected an angry kind of silence the rest of the way there, but instead, it was filled with guilt and shame. He couldn't help but feel increasingly awful as the time passed. Koushirou felt that uncontrollable urge of liking towards Taichi and a bitter hatred of how freely he had scolded him. _He deserved it_, he kept telling himself. But still, the sting of it would not pass.

He forced himself to glance over at Taichi, who looked – to Koushirou's surprise – just as guilty. He put his hands in his lap and stared at them quietly. He sensed that Taichi knew of how stupid and hypocritical he was acting, but somehow, the thought of popularity seemed to conquer all of that.

When they arrived at Nakagawa's apartment building, Koushirou could already tell where the party was taking place by the sound of the loud music and the couple kissing clumsily on the balcony. He grimaced, asked himself a final time why he had consented to go through with the whole ordeal, and let Taichi drag him out of the car with an impatient, "Come on."

They took an elevator all the way to the top floor, Taichi tapping his foot anxiously, and arrived in front of a door that seemed to vibrate with bass. Koushirou could already smell alcohol, sweat, and various kinds of smoke, all of which overwhelmed him as he walked into the dimly-lit living room.

Not surprisingly, Nakagawa lived in one of the nicest apartments in all of Odaiba. The party was already well under way, and Koushirou surveyed the scene of laughing drunkards, high drug-users, and the mob of hormone-ridden teenagers grinding in front of giant speakers.

He lost his breath a little as Taichi suddenly grabbed his wrist and dragged him over to Nakagawa, who, of course, was the center of attention in the circle of drinking, hysterical guys.

"Well, look who decided to show up!" Nakagawa exclaimed as he saw Taichi. He gave Taichi a friendly slap on the back and a toothy grin as he offered him a can of beer. "Glad you made it, Tai."

Koushirou frowned upon this. So the shell had a name: "Tai." Not "Taichi-san."

"So you bring the little fag with you?" Nakagawa snickered as he spotted Koushirou awkwardly looming behind Taichi.

The other boys laughed as Taichi simply stood there, saying nothing.

_He won't even stand up for me!_

Koushirou crossed his arms as he simply replied, "Hello, Nakagawa." He refused to call him "-san."

Nakagawa noticed that Koushirou had pointedly left out an honorific, but he decided to brush it off. "Remind me of your name again."

"Izumi Koushirou."

"That's way too fucking long," Nakagawa commented almost mockingly as he took a sip of his beer.

Koushirou narrowed his eyes. He liked his name just fine, thank you.

"We need a nickname for you."

Koushirou was panic-stricken. The last thing he needed was to turn into "Tai."

"No, I don't think that will be necessar-"

"How about 'Izzy?'" Nakagawa suggested.

"Sounds like a gay stripper name," commented one of the guys drinking.

"Well then that's just fucking perfect."

Nakagawa's friends laughed as Koushirou scoffed and turned around scowling. He wasn't openly gay. Hell, he didn't even know if he _was_ gay. The gentle curve of a woman's breast intrigued him well-enough, but there was something about Taichi that drove him utterly insane.

Nakagawa stepped forward and placed his hand on Koushirou's shoulder. Koushirou flinched in disgust, brushing the hand away.

"Aww, come on, man, we were just kidding around. Here."

Koushirou turned around to find a beer can was being offered to him.

"Have a drink. Maybe it'll loosen ya up for a change."

"I think he's pretty familiar with being 'loosened-up,' Kentaro-san."

The boys burst into laughter once more, and this time, Koushirou swiftly walked away in rage, his fingers curving tightly around the beer can that he had thoughtlessly accepted.

Suddenly, getting drunk didn't seem like such a bad idea.

He opened the can, which responded with an inviting hissing sound, and took a test sip. He made a face. Still as bitter as the last time Taichi had made him try it. But he knew that most people didn't drink because they liked the taste – they drank because they wanted to get drunk.

For the first time in his life, Koushirou dove into Tai's world with one dramatic swig.

~*~

Two beers later, Koushirou's vision was starting to blur, and the music pounded in his ears, incomprehensible. He leaned against the wall, trying to recall where he could get another beer, when suddenly, a girl with long brown hair and obnoxious bleach-blonde streaks appeared in front of him.

"Hey there," she greeted, a blatantly drunk grin plastered on her face. "You're kind of cute."

"Thanks," Koushirou muttered half-heartedly, praying she would go away.

"What do you say we head on over to somewhere...a little less quiet?" She gave him a seductive wink.

Koushirou was still sober enough to know what she was implying. "I'll pass."

"But you _know_ you want to."

"I _said_ I'll-"

But before he could realize what was happening, she was leading him with a deadlock grip around his wrist to an extensive hallway with several doors. He tried to wrench away, but she was stronger that she looked, and there was little he could do to prevent her from pulling him into a bedroom, pushing him onto the bed, and straddling his waist.

"So..." she began to coo, tracing the contour of his face with one, long, manicured finger. "How do you like it?"

Through the fuzziness of his vision, he could still comprehend the general idea of what she looked like, which he found to be awfully familiar...

"Keiko! Get the _fuck_ off of him!"

_Keiko!? Oh dear god._

Keiko turned around to meet Taichi, staggering his way through the door and throwing her off of Koushirou.

"Ooh, Tai-chan! So glad you – _hiccup _– decided to show up! Up for a threesome?"

"Get the fuck out, you slut," he growled.

Keiko cackled as she made her way over to the door. "You don't know what you two are missing." With that, she slammed the door behind her and went off in search of more willing prey.

Koushirou sighed in relief as he sat up to face his rescuer. "Taichi-san... Thank you."

"Of course, my Koushi."

Koushirou's heart stopped. "K-Koushi?"

Taichi sat down on the bed and ran his fingers through Koushirou's red hair, his eyes half-lidded in admiration, a shadow across his face. "You know the only reason I kicked her out was so that I could have you all to myself."

Koushirou's eyes widened, his heart beginning to race faster, and he managed to stutter, "T-Taichi-san, I-I..."

Taichi leaned closer to Koushirou's face, and that's when Koushirou could smell the alcohol, hot and heavy on his breath.

_He's drunk out of his mind! _Koushirou thought, panicking. _He has no idea what he's doing!_

"Taichi-san-"

"Shh..." Taichi breathed as he began to run his hand up Koushirou's inner thigh. Koushirou gasped at the contact and bit his lip as Taichi's fingers lingered nearer and nearer. He felt as though his heart was in his throat when he was finally there, and he was using all of his willpower to prevent himself from simply closing his eyes and letting Taichi have his way with him.

But that was the thing! Even if Taichi _was_ drunk, why was he doing this? He was calling Koushirou by name and obviously knew that he was touching a guy... Was he so out of it that he had no sense of his boundaries – or even his own sexuality? Or had he, like Koushirou, hidden a secret desire for some period of time...?

At this point, Koushirou didn't really care.

Taichi took his free hand and laced it through Koushirou's hair again, forcing the space between them to close and their lips to touch. Koushirou gasped a little into his first kiss, then savoring the feeling of Taichi's lips on his – something he had only dreamed of and frequently replayed in his mind. Taichi's other hand was still brushing over him gently, and when they finally broke away from the kiss for air, Koushirou couldn't help but feel embarrassed by the state he was in.

He whimpered a bit as Taichi pulled away to take off his shirt. Koushirou sat back and gazed at him in awe, but that's when Taichi climbed closer to him and gently whispered, "So are you just going to sit there?"

Inhibitions loosened, Koushirou briefly attempted to grasp hold of his conscience, trying desperately to reconsider. Did he really want to lose his virginity to a drunken Taichi? Yes, it was _Taichi_, but...

His hormones were screaming, his mind scolding him for even _considering_ throwing away the idea. _Koushirou_, his mind cried, _here is the boy of your dreams right in front of you, _completely_ willing, and you're just going to pass this up? Do you really think that you'll have this opportunity again?_

After one more brief hesitation, Koushirou decided to give in.

Koushirou threw off his shirt and met Taichi, taking a fistful of his wild hair and pulling them into a forceful kiss. He kept coming back for more, kiss after kiss, tears forming in his eyes at how surreal it all was, inexplicably happy that Taichi was returning them with just as much vigor and enthusiasm. He could feel fingers fumbling at the button of his jeans, then next the zipper, and then was the sort of half-gasp, half-moan.

Koushirou no longer had the breath to continue kissing. His eyes slowly closed as Taichi trailed small kisses down his neck, helping Koushirou to push off all his clothes. He looked up at Koushirou once, who was just about completely gone, and then proceeded to perform an act that a sober Taichi would never consider to be sane.

Giving a satisfied sigh, Koushirou dug his fingers into Taichi's hair, instinctively pushing down on his head. "Taichi-san...Taichi-san..." he whispered in bliss, although the reality of what was happening had not exactly hit him yet. He breathed heavily and his head arched back more and more as he felt himself reaching closer and closer to his peak.

He pulled away at that momentary spark of ecstasy. He let himself spill onto the sheets next to him as he sighed, trying to catch his breath. He opened his eyes slightly, seeing that Taichi was now working on his belt. That's when he noticed Taichi's own jeans.

His eyes widened. _He's...he's really turned on by all of this?_ Koushirou watched, spellbound, as Taichi threw all of his clothes off the bed and straddled Koushirou, cupping his hands around Koushirou's head and bringing them back into a kiss.

Reaching out, hands shaking, Koushirou held his breath as he thought back to all of those times that he had lay on his back in his own bed, thinking about what it would be like to be able to do exactly what he was doing at that moment. Still, he couldn't wrap his mind around it.

It was at that moment that Koushirou would do _anything_ for Taichi.

The next few minutes whirled around Koushirou so fast that they could not even register in his mind. The lubricant expectantly waiting on the side table, his spread legs, the shared glance between him and Taichi, the brief pain that gripped him, the sound of a door opening and closing, the feeling of being fulfilled, the pleasure, and then a warmth, before Taichi collapsed next to him in exhaustion.

Koushirou watched as their chests heaved up and down and then slowly decreased to a relaxed, sedated state. He couldn't help but curl up next to Taichi, who wrapped his arms around him, and swiftly fell asleep to the feeling of skin-on-skin, warm moonlight, and the bass of a seductive dance beat from the other side of the door.

~*~

When Koushirou awoke, he was surprised to find himself in Taichi's arms, and he rubbed his eyes a few times to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. At first, he panicked, wracking his brain for the events of how he had gotten there, only then realizing what had happened.

And _that's_ when the magnitude of it all hit him.

_I had sex with Taichi-san... Dear god, I had sex with Taichi-san. I lost my virginity to Taichi-san! And him to me! Oh god... oh dear god..._

He glanced over at the clock. 3:47 AM. The party was still going strong. A part of him wanted to stay in Taichi's embrace, drift off back to sleep, and awaken next to him in the morning like couples _should_ do. But they were not a couple, this had been a drunken one-night stand, and Koushirou knew that both of them were headed for some serious problems if anyone found out about it.

Carefully, he crawled out of the bed, wincing a little, and dressed himself hastily. He peeked out of the bedroom door through a small crack, observing that just about everyone was still busy either drinking, dancing, or smoking. So, strategically planning a route, he slipped out of the room, cautiously snuck over to the door, and walked out.

He couldn't help but feel guilty as he took the elevator down to the bottom floor, leaving Taichi there, but he knew that it was for the best.

And he hoped that maybe Taichi would remember – and maybe, just maybe – it would mean something to him.

_Man... Fuck, my head... Where am I?_

Taichi opened his eyes to greet a white ceiling half-coated in sunlight. His head was aching with hangover, and he couldn't help but sigh as he realized that he was stark-naked in a bed, the smells of sex surrounding him.

_Well, I had a feeling it was gonna happen sooner or later..._

He stretched as he rolled out of the bed, gathering his clothes and fighting his tired way into getting them on. He yawned as he walked over to the door, and his stomach dropped at his next thought. _Damn it, Koushirou's gonna be so fucking disappointed in me._

Guilt washed over him as he turned the doorknob. _Well, maybe someone will know who it was._ He couldn't believe that, of all things to not remember, he had no idea to whom he had lost his virginity.

_Well, maybe I didn't lose my virginity... Maybe some chick just sucked me off or something._

Entering the living room, Taichi rolled his eyes at the utter devastation that included several beer cans, a broken lamp, and even a lacy black bra. Nakagawa typically made anyone who had passed out help him clean up the usual giant mess that lay after a party, which usually consisted of washing vomit out of the carpet and stripping the beds of stained sheets.

Maybe he could sneak away...

"Hey, Tai!"

Taichi froze and silently groaned to himself as he heard Nakagawa's voice.

"Hey, Kentaro-san, I was just-"

"Dude, I heard you got laid!" Nakagawa slapped Taichi on the back and gave a laugh. "Congrats, man!"

Taichi blushed. "Uhh...thanks."

"So, how was it, man?"

The blush deepened as he tried to unravel any memories he could. "I...uh...well..."

"Aww, don't tell me you don't remember it!"

He looked away, ashamed as he replied, "Yeah..."

"Man, that sucks. But I can't talk: I can't remember my first time either."

Taichi breathed a sigh of relief, but he still looked at Nakagawa, surprised, although he wasn't quite sure why he should be. "Really?"

"Nope, and I'm _still_ not sure who it was to, either. Keiko claims it was her, but she doesn't remember the majority of the guys she sleeps with. Besides, I probably would've gotten some sort of disease if I had."

Taichi laughed. "You got that right."

Nakagawa chuckled. "So...do _you_ remember who?"

Taichi shook his head sadly. "I wish. To be honest, I don't know if I even fucked her... Maybe I just fooled around-"

"No, you fucked her."

Taichi looked up. "Huh?"

"Tamotsu was looking for a free room when he walked in on you."

Taichi blushed again, but that made him vaguely remember hearing a door being opened and closed. "Oh..."

"Yeah."

"Did...did _he_ see who it was?"

Nakagawa shook his head apologetically. "Sorry, man, he didn't get a good look."

_Damn,_ Taichi cursed to himself.

"Well, I guess you'll find out when the chick comes back asking for more."

Taichi couldn't help but laugh. "What made you think that I was any good?"

"'Cause you're Yagami Tai, man! Captain of the soccer team, hardcore partier – I mean, come on!" He gave him a cocky, playful punch.

Taichi smiled sheepishly. "Maybe I was."

"Of course you were! Now, usually I'd make you clean up your own mess" – he winked – "but since this is a special occasion, I'll let you off easy. But next time you won't be so lucky! Now go wait for that phone call. Unless it was Keiko. Then you're waiting for pain when you piss."

Taichi shuddered at the thought as he headed towards the door. "God, don't even _say_ that."

Nakagawa laughed. "See ya, Tai."

As Taichi out his hand on the doorknob, another – guiltier – question crossed his mind.

"Hey, Kentaro-san..."

"Yeah?"

"Do...do you know what happened to Koushirou?"

"Izzy-fag?"

Taichi sent him a harsh glare over his shoulder.

Nakagawa looked away. "I didn't see him after he walked away."

"Oh...well, alright. See ya."

"Bye."

As Taichi headed down to his car, each step felt heavier and heavier as he dreaded the moment that he would have to admit to Koushirou how he had made such a horrible and shameful mistake.

~*~

Taichi collapsed on his bed in exhaustion and he continued to wrack his brain for any kind of hint as to who the "mystery girl" was.

_What color hair did she have? God damn it, I can't even remember _that_._

But after many futile attempts, Taichi sighed and found it more important to find out what had happened to Koushirou.

He tried calling. No one answered.

_I hope he got home okay, _Taichi thought to himself worriedly. _But he's smart; I'm sure he's fine. _He glanced at the clock. 10:29 AM. _He could still be sleeping, even, depending on how late he got back._

Taichi decided to raid the kitchen for something to snack on. Hikari was at the table working on her homework, and she looked up as Taichi opened the refrigerator door.

"How was the party?"

"Good."

"Get wasted?"

"Obviously."

"Get laid?"

Hikari always asked this question sarcastically, but she was shocked to find out that her older brother wasn't giving his usual "I wish" answer.

"Oh, god...you did, didn't you?"

Taichi still didn't respond as he found an apple and bit into it with a loud _crunch_, leaning against the counter and avoiding her gaze.

"Oh, onii-chan, how could you be so _stupid_?"

"I was _drunk_, okay? I don't even remember the damn thing, much less who it was with!" He turned away from her angrily as he sunk his teeth into the apple again.

Quietly, Hikari whispered, "I'm scared for you, onii-chan."

Taichi turned back around. "Huh?"

"Well, seriously! Haven't you thought about this at _all?_ I mean, not only did you just lose your virginity to some random girl, you could've gotten, like, HIV or something for all you know!"

"None of the chicks Nakagawa invites have that!"

"You don't _know_ that, onii-chan!"

Taichi's glare softened as he saw that his younger sister truly _was_ worried about him.

She then spoke softly, saying, "I can't yell at you for losing your virginity like this, because it's too late for that. It's not like I can tell you not to do it again. But please, onii-chan, promise me you won't be careless like that again. Promise."

"I promise, Hikari. And I mean it."

"Good. Let's just hope that okaa-san and otou-san don't find out. And that you really are okay."

Taichi nodded as he threw the apple core into the trash. "Yeah."

Just then, Taichi's ring tone echoed from the other room.

"Got it!" Taichi called as he ran into the bedroom and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hi, Taichi-san." The voice was shy and quiet.

"Koushirou! What's up?"

There was an uncomfortable pause before the response. Taichi could hear Koushirou take a deep breath before he heard him reply, "I...I want to talk about what happened last night."

"Yeah. Me, too."

Another pause. "Y-you do?"

"Well, yeah, since you kind of disappeared on me and all."

"I'm so sorry!" Koushirou quickly replied, suddenly panic-stricken. "I just didn't want anyone to find out-"

"Wait, Koushirou," Taichi interrupted, "I owe you an apology, because I completely understand why you did."

"...Huh?"

It was Taichi's turn to take a deep breath. "Look, I know you must be mad at me. I'm sorry. Seriously, I am. Nakagawa-san had no right to make fun of you like that, and I just stood there like a dumbass. I was stupid. The whole thing was stupid. I just wanted you to have fun and, well... I'm sorry."

He could hear Koushirou breathing into the phone. "Apology accepted."

Taichi sighed in relief. "I'm glad. So what were you saying before about someone 'finding out?'"

The strained silence returned. "I...I..."

"Did something happen, Koushirou?"

No reply.

"Koushirou, something happened."

"I had a couple of drinks, okay?" Koushirou blurted. "And I didn't want to get teased for getting tipsy, maybe even borderline drunk."

Taichi's eyes widened in surprise. "You...you _drank_?"

"Yeah." Koushirou admitted. "It...it seemed like a good idea at the time."

Taichi laughed. "It always does, Koushirou, it always does."

Koushirou laughed nervously before asking, "So what time did you get home?"

"Around 10 this morning."

"...You passed out."

"Yeah."

"Do you remember anything?"

"After you left? Barely. But..." Taichi hesitated. "I...I woke up in a bed, butt-naked. So..."

He was expecting a lecture similar to Hikari's and was bracing himself for it, but instead Koushirou simply asked, "With whom?"

"...I don't remember."

More silence.

"I...I have to go. Lots of homework to do."

Taichi blinked. "No lecture? No _nothing_? No yelling at how stupid I am? No-"

"Good-bye, Taichi-san." And with that, he hung up.

Taichi held the cell phone to his ear for a few moments before setting it down, dumbfounded. Something was strange about Koushirou. Something else had happened. And Taichi wanted to know what. Badly.

He lay down on his bed again. _Why was he acting so weird? _Something _must've happened... Maybe after he got tipsy or whatever. But why wouldn't he tell me? Is it _really_ that bad? Can't be any worse than what I did..._

For the rest of the day, he went back and forth between deciphering Koushirou's strange words and trying to remember the "mystery girl." He vaguely recalled Keiko being involved somehow, which scared him at first, but then he remembered kicking her _out_ of the room.

Throughout the day, he got quite a few phone calls of congratulations from some of Nakagawa's gang, who all wished him luck in the search for the "mystery girl." Some of them told him that they'd asked around, but no one seemed to know who it had been. (Taichi didn't really appreciate everyone knowing about what he had done, but he was simply _dying_ to know who it was.) So Taichi paced the apartment trying to remember, Hikari avoiding his gaze.

After hastily scribbling some homework and a brief bid goodnight to Hikari, Taichi lay thinking once more. He had decided that Koushirou's reaction and the "mystery girl" _must_ be connected somehow.

_Maybe _he_ knows who it was and he likes her or something. Or maybe it was someone really awful and he just doesn't want to break it to me._

He rolled on his side and stared at the cracks in the wall.

_What if kicking out Keiko had something to do with it? Why'd I kick her out in the first place? I mean, she was obviously in there before I was._

He frowned.

_And every time Keiko's in a bedroom..._

He sat up, staring at his bed sheets.

_Unless Keiko is secretly bi, which I _highly_ doubt...the only reason she'd be in a bedroom is to do a _guy...

_And if I kicked her out...._

_And didn't come back out of the room..._

_And woke up still there, _naked_..._

_Who would be...?_

_..._

_Oh my god._

_Oh my god._

~*~

It was the first time Taichi had ever run to school in his life.

The sun blared in his face as the only other memory of that night flashed in front of his eyes: Cool, red hair, and confused, yet lustful, dark eyes.

He still was trying to figure out what it all meant. Had he just been a stupid drunk who completely and unintentionally screwed his best friend (who also had a couple of drinks), or did he really have some kind of feelings for the redhead? At this point, Taichi had no idea.

He had texted Koushirou that morning, telling him to meet him by the soccer fields before school started, and Koushirou had responded with a simple "OK." And there he was, sitting on a bench, fidgeting and focusing on the direction from which Taichi would be coming. He looked away when he spotted him walking over.

"So..." Koushirou began awkwardly when Taichi had arrived. "What is it that you wanted to discuss?"

Taichi set his things down and sat next to Koushirou on the bench, looking down at the grass. He simply stated, "I remember."

Koushirou tensed a little, a blush creeping onto his face. "I...I see."

"And I don't know what to make of it."

"That's...understandable."

"I mean it's like..." Taichi brought up his courage and looked at Koushirou. "I know it wasn't a conscious decision. I think you realize that. But...I mean...I'm straight. It's not like I've had this urge to...you know...do that to you. It just kind of..._happened_. I mean, you were just about drunk, too, and...yeah." He took a breath. "So...how about we just kind of...pretend it never happened, okay? Because the last thing I want is for things to get awkward between us."

Taichi then noticed that Koushirou's fists were clenched, and that's when realized that something was seriously wrong.

"Taichi-san..." Koushirou's voice cracked a little. "What if...what if I told you that I was sober enough to make conscious decisions that night?"

Taichi was taken aback by this question. "I...well...what are you saying, Koushirou?"

"What would you say if I told you that I _chose_ to give into your advances?"

Taichi knew that Koushirou wasn't being hypothetical. Digesting this news, he stammered, "I...guess...I..."

"Taichi-san, I _can't_ just forget this ever happened, I can't! Maybe this whole thing hasn't affected you the way it has me, but my god, Taichi-san... I may have been tipsy and you may have been drunk, but I lost my virginity to _you_, to _you_ of all people, and I'm not going to just forget about it!"

"But...me? What's so special about-"

"I _like_ you, Taichi-san, okay? I've liked you for...for a long time! And by the way, do you know how much it's killed me to see you get dragged into that whole mess? To see how Nakagawa and all those other idiots have tainted you? It's _killed_ me! But I always knew that you were in there somewhere... And as futile as it was to like you, I _lived_ for the days when you true self would show his face! And as ironic as this whole situation may be, it happened, and I'm _not_ going to ignore how much it _does_ mean to me!"

Koushirou was standing up at this point, panting, his cheeks flushed. Taichi simply stared at him, taking it all in.

_He...he..._likes_ me?_

Koushirou took a giant breath, exhaling slowly. "The bell's going to ring soon. Better go."

He grabbed his things and headed off towards the entrance to the school without another word.

Taichi came to his senses and jumped up. "So you're just going to leave me here?"

Koushirou stopped and, without turning around, replied, "If it's really not that important to you, then there's nothing else to be said." With that, he disappeared around the corner of the building, leaving Taichi stunned, confused, and alone.

~*~

Despite Taichi's best efforts, Koushirou refused to participate in any kind of worthwhile conversation for the rest of the day. His answers only consisted of "mhmm," "mm-mm" and "I dunno," and his eyes never met Taichi's, remaining shadowed even more so than usual. His head was always downwards and he seemed to almost purposefully create an awkward air between him and Taichi.

At first, Taichi understood why. The whole situation _was_ awkward – there was simply no getting around it. It wasn't every day that he accidentally slept with his best male friend who just happened to have a crush on him. The entire ordeal just _screamed_ awkward.

So when Koushirou didn't talk to him for a few days afterwards, he took it in stride. _I think we both need some time to just let this blow over,_ Taichi thought to himself. _Maybe he'll get over it._

But as one week evolved into two, Koushirou still showed no sign of lifting his gaze to meet Taichi's eyes. He gave no response at all to Taichi's renewed attempts in engaging him in conversation; he flat-out gave the cold shoulder. Taichi would scowl to himself, wondering why Koushirou couldn't simply let it go and allow things to return to normal.

It wasn't as though Taichi couldn't comprehend why Koushirou had become so upset; he just didn't understand why he had to mope around about it. _All he has to do is at least _pretend_ he's okay,_ Taichi thought frustratingly. _I just don't wanna lose my best friend over this!_

By the end of a month, Taichi's anger dissipated into simply missing the redhead.

_What does he want me to say? That yes, it did mean something to me?_

_Well...I guess it did?_

He was still unsure of what to make of all of it. He had hung around those who had given away their virginity like candy, and really, he had done the same. It should've been something simple. After all, it was just candy. But the baby that had accepted it didn't see it as such – to him, it was more like diamonds.

_But why would it be so precious to him?_ Taichi wondered to himself. _We're horny guys! What the hell is so amazing about that?_

He'd lie on his bed and stare up at the ceiling like all of those days before, turning the situation over in his mind.

_It doesn't help that even when I _do_ try to sort it out with him that he won't even give me a _chance_ to talk._

It also didn't help that he had a whole other situation dealing with how Koushirou – apparently – had a crush on him. That just complicated things more. He had so many questions – _Why _me_? What the hell does he see in _me_? Is he gay? Bi? Damn it, this is so fucking confusing! _– yet the only person who could answer them wouldn't pick up his phone or even give Taichi a second glance (despite the fact that he blushed bright red when he did so).

Taichi's popular "friends" all knew something was up. They could tell by the downcast demeanor that he began to display as he looked longingly towards Koushirou, craving the days before all of the trouble. They'd ask what was wrong and invite him to go party in order to cheer him up, but Taichi would always decline. He didn't need to be further reminded of what he had done, nor make a similar mistake.

Hikari also took notice of his sudden change in attitude. She confronted him often, pleading for him to tell her what was wrong, yet he always gruffly insisted that he had no idea what she was talking about. First she had suspected that perhaps he _had_ gotten some kind of disease from his one-night stand or maybe...he had a baby on the way? Taichi went absolutely _crazy_ on her when she suggested either, especially the latter, and said that he was _sure_ that it wasn't the case. This confused Hikari to a great extent, but she figured that he had discovered whom he had slept with and knew the girl.

As the two months passed, she noticed that Taichi wasn't seeing Koushirou anymore. She found this to be awfully peculiar, especially since they were best friends. She thought that must've had some kind of fight after the party, but Taichi wasn't going to those parties anymore – what he usually did when he was frustrated, angry, or feeling down. The whole thing couldn't confuse Hikari more, and Taichi wasn't about to offer her any answers.

One day, after another fruitless call to Koushirou, Taichi sat down on his dad's computer chair and sighed, swerving back and forth. He smiled as he remembered that fateful day when he and Koushirou had saved the world in that very room. Well, technically it had been him and Yamato (well, _okay_, Omegamon), but there was no way that they could've done it without Koushirou. After all, it had been Koushirou who had brought it to their attention in the first place.

It then occurred to him how much he truly relied on Koushirou. Where would he be without him? All of the Chosen Children would probably _still_ be wandering in the Digital World (even if a Digital World still _existed_), and even the real world would have been chaos. Even going all the way back to their very first adventures, Koushirou had been key. Who else would have arranged those cards in Vamdemon's castle or found where medicine was for Hikari? Without Koushirou, one way or another, they'd be dead! Even now, he was Taichi's voice of reason, the friend he could always rely on...

And how had he thanked him?

He hadn't done much.

He pushed off the group so the chair went around in a circle, blurring the room around him and dizzying him.

He had been wondering all of two months why Koushirou had taken a drunken, fuzzy one-night stand so seriously. Was the whole experience really that special?

To be honest, Taichi didn't know. He didn't remember. He only knew that it had been with Koushirou – the one person whom he relied on, laughed with, sought answers from, and trusted the most out of anyone he knew.

The least he could do was give it all another try – one that he could remember.

Then maybe he'd understand what Koushirou was talking about.

~*~

Mr. and Mrs. Izumi were always out of the house after school. Mr. Izumi had work and Mrs. Izumi was always out running errands or seeing friends. So the next day, Taichi came to school prepared to give Koushirou another chance.

At what, exactly, he wasn't quite sure. Perhaps it was simply to give _himself_ another chance.

All day, he had a kind of nervous excitement, like one of those adrenaline rushes he got before a big soccer game. He would fidget impatiently, glancing at the slow-ticking clock, and wish that the final bell would ring at last so he could get to Koushirou. He absolutely couldn't wait to come out of his "Koushirou withdrawal."

Then it occurred to him how excited he really was. Since when had looked forward to him and his best friend...?

_Weird..._

It caught him by surprise.

_Well...this is new,_ he thought to himself incredulously. _Maybe it's something I'll have to get used to._

~*~

He took the long route to Koushirou's house after school, forcing his feet to saunter instead of run. Slumping his backpack over his shoulder, he fiddled with a strap anxiously as he walked. He reached the apartment complex a bit earlier than he had hoped, but his timing turned out to be perfect, for Mrs. Izumi was putting on her jacket and closing the front door to leave.

"Ah! Taichi-kun!" she exclaimed as she spotted him. "It's been too long! How are you?"

"I'm fine, Izumi-san. Thank you," he replied politely, keeping his nervous voice from shaking.

"Oh, good. Yes, well, Koushirou is in his room on that darn computer as always," Mrs. Izumi chirped. "You're always welcome, Taichi-kun! Have fun!"

"I will," Taichi replied with a small smirk. _Screwing your son? _he finished in his head. _...Hopefully? _It still blew his mind, how much he was actually looking forward to it.

He let himself in, closing the door quietly behind him and taking off his shoes, and stealthily headed towards Koushirou's room.

He opened the door to meet Koushirou, who turned around from his laptop startled, his eyes wide.

"T-Taichi-san!?" he exclaimed in surprise, terrified. "I...what...what are you doing here!?"

Taichi threw his backpack against the bed and immediately dug both hands into the boy's thick red hair, pulling him into a clumsy, yet forceful kiss.

Koushirou's eyes widened and he hesitated for a moment before using all of his might to pull away. "W-What was _that_!?"

Taichi exhaled as he looked down at the shaken and astonished expression on his best friend's pale face. "A kiss, you idiot. You're supposed to be the genius here, remember?"

Koushirou blinked a couple times before replying, "B-but...but _why_?"

"Well..." Taichi closed his eyes for a moment before he answered, "Let's just say that all of this time I haven't really understood why that little, um..._incident_ two months ago was so important to you...because I didn't exactly _remember_ it." He took a deep breath before he stated, "Well...I wanna know why."

Koushirou still looked shell-shocked. "I...I don't understand-"

"You're going to show me what it was like that night." Taichi could feel his cheeks flush as he said it.

The redhead stared at him. "And...and why would you assume that I would agree to do such a thing?"

"Do I really need to answer that?"

Koushirou blushed hard.

"When you said that it was special because it was with me...I didn't really get why that was so important. But I mean...well...you..." He hesitated, trying to search for the words. "You're really important to me, Koushirou. I trust you more than anyone else I know. I mean, honestly, when I think about, who else would I wanna screw?" Koushirou stared at him. He shifted uncomfortably. "No! That wasn't what I wanted to say. I...I, well... Oh, _fuck it_."

He dove onto Koushirou's lips again, darting into his tongue into his half-open, surprised mouth, and it took some time before he finally gave in. Taichi could feel the boy's arms tighten around him and return the kiss, and when he opened his eyes for a moment, he could see that Koushirou's were closed in bliss.

He then broke away, and Koushirou's eyes opened, looking confused as to why he had stopped.

"So..." Taichi began, his voice a bit breathy. He hadn't expected kissing Koushirou to be so exhilarating. "What happened first?"

"What...?" Koushirou's voice wasn't at its full volume either. "What do you mean?"

"How did it all begin...that night?" Taichi refused to be ashamed by the question and kept his eyes on the shy boy.

Koushirou, however, looked down at his lap and swerved a little on his computer chair. "Well, um..."

"We were on a bed, weren't we?"

Koushirou's cheeks turned redder. "Well, um, yes..."

"Well, then." Taichi offered his hand to Koushirou, who seemed to be deliberating having some second thoughts. He looked up at Taichi, who recognized the faint sign of lust in Koushirou's eyes, and then shakily grasped his hand.

Taichi pulled him up from the chair and, almost gracefully, led him to the bed, where they both sat across from each other awkwardly. They stared at one another for a few moments before Koushirou looked away, his cheeks brighter than ever.

"So what came first?"

"Uhh..." Koushirou gave a quick glance at Taichi. "Well, you, um..."

"Show me."

Koushirou took a deep breath and then slowly took his hand, leading Taichi towards him. Taichi got on his hands and knees like a cat and followed, and Koushirou looked away as he laid his hand on his thigh.

"Like this?" Taichi began to softly slide his palm against the inside of Koushirou leg.

Koushirou slowly exhaled as he replied, "S-something like that."

Taichi used his other hand to close the space between his and Koushirou's lips once more. Their eyes closed, and as Taichi crept upwards, he was surprised at how quickly he had turned him on. But something told him that he wasn't too far behind.

_God... this is _definitely_ different._

He then felt warm fingers graze his abdomen, and he broke their kiss to find Koushirou starting to unbutton his shirt. He gave him a confused look.

Koushirou pulled back and blushed bright red again as he stammered, "You...you took off your shirt after that..."

"Was this also the part where you started getting into it?" That didn't help Koushirou's red cheeks.

Taichi finished unbuttoning his shirt as Koushirou slowly unbuttoned his, and they met at the middle again as they shrugged them off, kissing much less clumsily than before. It was strange, kissing Koushirou like this after their two months of separation, but suddenly, it seemed all very necessary to Taichi. It wasn't like they could've suddenly done this before those two months after playing video games or something. That would've been too weird. But this... It was like coming back and seeing Koushirou in a new light.

Had Koushirou thought all of that out? Had he realized that after the whole ordeal? Had their time of separation been planned for that very reason?

_Well,_ Taichi thought, amused, _he _is_ the genius here._

He ran his hand down Koushirou chest and slid beneath the waistband of his pants, and he couldn't but wonder how he was surprised at what he felt. He'd seen a couple of random girls at parties naked before, but never a guy.

Well, not in this kind of situation anyway.

He wrapped his hand around him like he would his own, and he felt Koushirou's breathing become a bit more erratic. Koushirou's kisses were lighter and less enthusiastic, and his head arched backwards, his mouth half-open.

Taichi could now feel his own desire tugging at him, but he resisted and managed to ask, "So what next?"

"Wh-wha?" It was more like a whisper as Koushirou opened his eyes halfway. "Oh, um..." He stared at Taichi's increasingly impatient eyes, and he flicked his gaze downwards. Then, he gently pushed down on Taichi's head.

_Oh...wow, I'm adventurous when I'm drunk._

Taichi unbuckled Koushirou's belt and grabbed the top of his pants and boxers, pushing them down. The next thing he knew, he was going ahead, before he had time to even think about what he was doing.

He was surprised to see how much Koushirou was reacting to everything he did, and he was pushing down on his head a little, encouraging him to continue. Somehow, Taichi found that it was a really, really big turn-on. Koushirou was moaning, gasping, sighing Taichi's name.

_God, how did I not remember this the first time around?_

Koushirou's head arched backwards more and more until finally, he pulled away, and before Taichi could wonder if he was doing something wrong, he watched as Koushirou rolled on his side and let go on the other side of the bed, eyes closed in ecstasy.

Taichi couldn't tear his eyes away as he watched Koushirou glow with a kind of emotion that he had never seen him display. Seeing Koushirou act like that had been strangely satisfying in itself, for it was a rare moment that Koushirou would demonstrate _half_ of that emotion. It was pleasing to watch him like that for a while, not to mention that Koushirou seemed to need time to calm down, and he felt himself get nervous again when Koushirou's eyes met his once more.

"I...don't have..." He paused. "...Lubricant or anything like that..."

Taichi immediately leaned over the bed and unzipped his backpack, revealing a small tube of lubricant in his hand when he came back up. Koushirou's eyes widened a little, then he looked almost amused. "You...came prepared."

"Of course." He gently placed his hand on Koushirou's cheek and kissed him again. He had never felt so drawn to anyone in his life.

"The next part is kind of...blurry," Koushirou admitted as he broke the kiss. "I don't remember it as well as...everything else."

"After two months, you seemed to remember 'everything else' pretty well."

Koushirou blushed and looked away. "Um, well..."

Taichi grinned. "You replay it over and over in your mind, don't you?"

Koushirou went redder as he softly replied, "Don't take advantage of your knowledge to tease me."

"But that's my job," Taichi replied playfully, running his fingers through Koushirou's hair. He was pleading for some kind of relief, and it wasn't going to be too long before Taichi could ignore it anymore. He took a deep breath as he said, "Well, anyway... Just give me the general idea, then."

He felt Koushirou pull him back into another kiss and start working at his belt, so he closed his eyes and let Koushirou bring him into the same state. He felt gentle fingers wrap around him, and he uncontrollably bit Koushirou's lip at the touch.

Koushirou spread his legs wider and hesitated before looking up at Taichi, a bit apprehensive, but undoubtedly enamored.

Taichi felt his heart beat faster as he opened the small tube and squeezed the lubricant into his hand to prepare himself. He'd looked at porn enough times to know what to do with a girl, so it couldn't be _that_ much different with a guy. He paused for a moment, a little blown away by his eagerness, but once he met Koushirou's hungry eyes (an expression he had _never_ seen for all the years that he had known him), there was nothing to keep him from changing his mind.

He couldn't focus on anything else but the pleasure at first contact, and he gave a few breathy moans. He looked down at Koushirou, who had inhaled sharply, and he managed to pause and mumble, "Are...are you okay?" He was surprised that he was coherent at all.

He felt Koushirou's hands on his back, pushing for him to continue. "Don't...stop..."

Taichi took that as the signal to basically have his way with him, and he laced his fingers through red hair once more, savoring the pleasant pressure that enveloped him. He thrust deeply, and Koushirou gasped, breathing Taichi's name.

"Did you say my name as sexy as you did just now?" Taichi couldn't pass up any opportunity to tease him.

It was impossible for Koushirou to flush any harder, although Taichi wasn't so sure his cheeks were flushed out of embarrassment. "I...I told you, I...don't really...remember..."

"Will you remember this?" Taichi pulled out before thrusting all the way inside again, and Koushirou gave an expectant half-cry, half-moan.

"Taichi-san..."

He did this again and again, Koushirou impatiently moving into his thrusts, before they developed a sort of rhythm, and it was impossible for either of them to be teasing the other anymore. Minutes seemed like hours to Taichi, and he stopped to catch his breath after awhile, remaining inside. Koushirou seemed as though he needed to catch his breath as well, and that's when Taichi noticed the tears gently running down his cheeks.

"Koushi...are you-"

"You called me that, too," Koushirou said serenely, relaxing in one slow exhale. "You called me, 'my Koushi.'"

It was Taichi's turned to blush. "I was going to ask if you were okay..."

"Yes," Koushirou replied, smiling up at him with half-closed eyes. "I'm fine. I'm _quite_ fantastic, actually."

Taichi couldn't help but laugh as he looked down at him best friend and sudden lover, whose smile had evolved into a grin. Taichi prepared to start up their rhythm again, but Koushirou suddenly exclaimed, "No. I...want to be like this...for awhile."

Taichi was confused, especially since his mind was vehemently protesting this proposal, but he knew that Koushirou must have a good reason for it. He shifted so they were both lying on their sides, facing one another, joined. Koushirou snuggled up against Taichi, his head against his chest, and that's when Taichi understood.

This was the closest either of them could ever get to someone.

They were as one.

How could anyone call it sinful? How could it be forbidden? How could anyone be revolted at such a concept?

And it was him and _Koushirou_.

Taichi placed his hands on Koushirou's cheeks and brought him in for a vigorous kiss, starting up their rhythm faster than ever. Koushirou couldn't do much to respond, though; his attempts at returning the kiss were futile as he moaned a bit louder than before, his head arching back again with Taichi's every thrust. The emotion and pleasure from it all overwhelmed Taichi, and nothing – _nothing_ – was going to make him stop. He looked down to find Koushirou trying to touch him, but Taichi took over that job using the same tempo as their lovemaking, and Koushirou came again shortly afterwards, almost screaming Taichi's name.

With a few more intense thrusts, Taichi felt himself reaching his peak and dug his fingers into the small of Koushirou's back at the moment of intense pleasure, releasing into him with a final jerk of his hips and a blissful cry.

They lay there panting for a few minutes before finally, and reluctantly, pulling away. Still unable to comprehend exactly how _amazing_ those whirlwind minutes had been, Taichi turned to Koushirou and stated, "Well, at least no one walked in on us again."

Koushirou gave a breathy laugh and sighed as he admired his lover.

"So...was that what it was like?"

"Sort of," Koushirou replied quietly, his eyes still closed. He peeked them open and added, "Except it was exponentially better."

Taichi blushed. "Why's that?"

"Because," Koushirou began, scooting over to Taichi again, "we weren't drunk. You chose to do it completely sober. And because it was with _you_."

"Well, yeah, so was the last time-"

"No. I mean with Taichi-san. Not Tai."

It took a few moments to realize what Koushirou was talking about, but that's when he felt a regretful pang in the pit of his stomach. "_Oh._"

"It's okay," Koushirou assured him, snuggling closer. "So, um...." Taichi couldn't see his face directly, but he was sure that he was blushing, too. "Did you come to any conclusions?"

Taichi pushed up Koushirou's chin with one finger to find eyes full of hope. He smiled and answered, "I understand what you meant now."

Koushirou grinned and hugged Taichi as though he was a child with a new teddy bear. "I love you, Taichi-san."

Taichi was a little startled and unprepared for this kind of comment, but he solemnly replied, "Something tells me, Koushirou, that one day, I'll be able to say that to you, too."

The redhead looked up again with no sign of disappointment, but rather, understanding. He nodded, then yawned, and leaned against Taichi's chest once more.

Taichi wrapped his arms around Koushirou thin body, feeling the cool sweat on his soft skin and his tranquil breathing, and felt himself drift into the most relaxing sleep he'd had in a long, long time...

~*~

Koushirou opened his eyes to find himself in Taichi's arms for the second time. He smiled as he observed him in his deep sleep, his face almost nuzzled in Koushirou's hair. He savored the state for a few moments, knowing that _this_ was the kind of feeling that he should experience after such an divine act. (_How ironic_, he thought to himself.) But that's when he became aware of the mess of himself and the bed. He didn't like feeling dirty, so after a brief pause, he lifted himself away from Taichi's arms and stretched, looking towards the digital clock on the side table.

_Wow...it's only been two hours? It seems like more._ To be truthful, he was kind of relieved, for he didn't exactly want his parents to find him in his current condition.

He took a quick shower and returned to his room to find Taichi just getting up.

"Good morning," he greeted instinctively, rubbing one eye.

"It's almost 6:30 in the evening," Koushirou replied amused.

"Really?" Taichi looked at the digital clock. "Wow, would've never guessed."

"Despite the fact that it's clearly dark outside?"

Taichi looked over his shoulder to the window above Koushirou's desk and saw that he was right. "Well...it technically could still be 3 in the morning or something!"

Koushirou smiled, shaking his head back and forth. "You're hopeless."

"_But_, I'm good in bed."

Koushirou flushed pink. "Well, I can't argue with that." He couldn't deny it, but he knew that the fact that it was with Taichi had made it all the better. _Especially_ this time.

Taichi stood up from the bed and placed his arms around Koushirou, who couldn't pry his eyes away from the space between his legs. Taichi chuckled and slyly traced the top of the towel that was wrapped around Koushirou's waist. "So are you going to keep teasing me, or are you going to take off that damn towel?"

Koushirou blushed as he let Taichi pull the towel to the ground, although he wasn't as sure as to why he was suddenly self-conscious; he hadn't exactly been that way a couple hours before. Taichi began to kiss his neck, and he closed his eyes as he trailed them to his lips. Just when he thought that he was going to lose all control, he pulled away.

"W-we should really clean up," Koushirou stuttered as he pulled away, heading towards his closet.

Taichi's face fell as he, almost teasingly, asked, "Aww, why?"

"We don't want to get caught-up again when my parents are going to be home soon."

His expression admitted defeat. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Besides," Koushirou added, a mischievous glimmer in his eye, "we'll have plenty of opportunities in the future." Suddenly realizing how optimistic he was being, he timidly finished, "W-won't we?"

Taichi walked over and placed his hand on the top of Koushirou's head. "You can count on it."

And they both smiled.

Koushirou dressed and cleaned up the room while Taichi showered, and the brunette was surprised when he walked back in. "Wow, that was fast."

Koushirou shrugged as he finished making his bed with new sheets. "I don't like my room to be messy."

"Gosh, it takes me two hours to clean up mine, at least."

Koushirou avoided looking at Taichi as he dressed, knowing that probably wouldn't lead to the best results. When they had both finished, Taichi walked over to Koushirou and put his arms around his neck, pulling him close.

"Taichi-san-"

"Koushirou! Taichi-kun! I'm home!"

They jumped away from each other as Mrs. Izumi's voice echoed throughout the house, Taichi looking considerably more worried than Koushirou.

"You should go," Koushirou whispered, running his fingers through Taichi's damp hair.

"Why? It's a Friday night. That's not suspicious or anything."

"Well...what if we got caught-up again, and then one of my parents discovered us? I think there are better ways of them finding out." Koushirou sighed. "I think we both need time to process this, anyway."

"Aww, well, okay then." Taichi went over to his backpack when he noticed the tube of lubricant on the floor. He picked it up and said, "So should I leave this here for later?"

"Umm..." Koushirou went slightly pink again. "Sure...I guess... If you're willing to get some for when we're at your apartment..."

Taichi grinned. "Sounds good." He tossed it to Koushirou, who caught it and slipped it into one of the bottom drawers of his desk. When he straightened back up, Taichi had put on his backpack and looked ready to leave. He walked over to Koushirou and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Things are a lot different now than they were when I first walked in, huh?"

"I know...it's a little hard to believe," Koushirou admitted.

"But I'm so ready to believe it. I mean, man...I can't believe how _lost_ I was without you."

"R-really?"

"Yeah, I was _mess_. All of Nakagawa's gang kept asking if I wanted to go to some party to drink it off, but that would just remind me of you." (Koushirou was glad to hear the lack of an honorific for the bastard.) "And that's stupid anyway. And, oh my god, Hikari..." He began to laugh.

"What?"

"She asked me once if I had knocked-up a chick."

Koushirou's mouth dropped open. "_Really?_"

"Yeah, I know, isn't that hilarious? She's going to be so surprised when she finds out who it _really_ was."

"You...never told anyone?" Koushirou asked.

"Well, duh. I mean, can you say 'awkward?' Besides, I _totally_ figured it out on my own."

Koushirou rolled his eyes in amusement.

"What? I did!"

He laughed as he looked back up shyly at Taichi's loving, yet still incredulous, eyes. "Well, okay, I guess I'll talk to you later."

"Damn it!" Taichi cursed. "I'd hoped that you'd forget about me having to leave."

Koushirou laughed. "Not quite. Alright, Taichi-san, you better go."

"Alright then." With one last sweet kiss, they walked into the hallway and then the kitchen, where Mrs. Izumi greeted then with grocery bags on the table.

"Hey there, you two. Oh, Taichi-kun, leaving so soon?"

"Yeah, I, uh, promised Hikari I'd help her with a school project. I _really_ wish I could stay, though." He shot a wink at Koushirou.

"Oh, alright then. We'll, you're welcome here any time!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Izumi. See ya, Koushirou."

"Bye, Taichi-san."

Taichi slipped on his shoes, opened the door, looking back at his new lover and best friend, and then closed the door slowly behind him.

"So," Mrs. Izumi began after he had left, "how was it?"

Koushirou blushed as he started helping his mother put away the groceries. "More amazing than I could describe to you in words," he muttered bashfully.

"See, now was I right, or was I right?" Mrs. Izumi gloated triumphantly. "He did _exactly_ what I predicted! A mother's instinct is _always _right!"

Koushirou rolled his eyes, although he had to admit that throughout many trials during his life, the statement had held true.

"Oh, I _knew_ he'd realize it, Koushirou! It just took some time."

"Yeah, two very long and difficult months."

"But it was worth it in the end, wasn't it?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Haha, 'in the end,' get it?"

"OKAA-SAN!"

~*~

Koushirou sat down at his usual lunch table that next Monday, tapping his fingers impatiently for his boyfriend. Taichi burst out of the crowd of hungry teenagers, his tray piled high with food, and sat next to him, beginning to ravenously gorge down his lunch.

"So what did you tell Nakagawa?" Koushirou asked, sipping some milk.

"That he's a douchebag and should get over himself. And to not call my boyfriend 'Izzy-fag' or I'll kick his ass."

Koushirou raised an eyebrow in amusement. "What did he say to that?"

"He called me 'Tai-fag.'"

Somehow, Koushirou laughed at that.

"Anything else?"

"That I'm fuckin' crazy for dating you and that I'm missing out."

"He would say that."

"Yeah. Remind me again what the hell I was thinking?"

"I didn't have a clue then, and I don't have a clue now."

"Same. I was screwed-up."

Koushirou smiled and shook his head. "But my Taichi-san was always in there somewhere. I mean, you _had_ to come to your senses at _some_ point."

Taichi rustled Koushirou's hair. "Thanks for believing in me."

"Of course." They grinned at each other.

Hikari sat down across from the two boys instead of her usual group of friends and casually entered the conversation with, "Well, Koushirou, thank god _you're_ not pregnant!"

Koushirou laughed. "Well, that _is_ one positive factor in our relationship, isn't it?"

"Shut up!" Hikari shouted back. "Imagine having to give birth through your penis!"

Both of the boys winced at the thought.

Hikari laughed. "That's what I thought. Now have all the fun you'd like, but please: keep it at Koushirou's house. I _do_ have to share a room with Taichi, you know."

"Aw, man, I just bought another thing of lube for my room..."

Hikari leaned across the table and smacked him for that. "It's _our_ room, remember?"

Koushirou couldn't help but laugh. "That's okay, Taichi, my mom is totally cool with it."

"Well, so is mine!" Taichi exclaimed before adding, "Well, the relationship part anyway. I haven't told her about the sex..."

"Yeah? Well, my mom actually _encouraged_ me to be sexually active."

"...You're joking."

"No lie."

The three all exchanged glances and burst into laughter when Keiko conveniently happened to walk by.

"Hey, Tai!" she called over, Taichi instinctively looking up as he heard his nickname, only to regret it. "Party at my place this Friday. Gonna show?"

"Nah," Taichi replied, wrapping his arms around Koushirou and giving him a peck on the cheek. "I believe I already have plans."

Keiko's face morphed into a mixture of both surprise and disgust. "_Yagami Tai? Gay?"_

"For Izumi Koushirou? Hell yeah," he retorted. "And never call me 'Tai' _ever_ again."

"Why the _hell_ would you want to date _that_ loser!?" she cried.

"Hey..." Taichi shrugged nonchalantly. "You almost fucked him."

"_Ewwww! _You talk shit, Yagami! How the hell would you even know!?"

"Because I kicked you out of the room and had him all to myself." He winked.

Keiko stood there shocked. "I...didn't..._what_...?"

"Hey," Hikari interjected, "aren't you the chick that Fukazawa Toshi bragged about screwing this past weekend?"

"F-Fukazama Toshi!? I would do no such thing!"

"Actually, I believe I heard that, too," Koushirou quietly put in.

Keiko looked at the three, absolutely mortified, and scurried off, shrieking in repulsion.

Hikari turned to Koushirou. "You _actually_ heard Fukazama say that?"

Koushirou smirked. "Do you actually think that I pay attention to such nonsense?"

"Wait...so she _didn't_ sleep with him?" Taichi was confused.

"Psht, no, do you really think he'd show-up to a party like that? He's always too busy studying or something," Hikari replied, laughing. "I just thought I'd remind her of what a slut she is."

"It's a well-deserved lesson," Koushirou agreed.

"Hey, watch them start going out in about two months," Taichi joked.

Koushirou rolled his eyes. "Very funny, Taichi-san."

"Aww, come on." Taichi nudged Koushirou with his elbow. "Admit that it's pretty damn funny that we ended-up going out."

"Please, the irony of this whole thing has been killing me long enough." Koushirou smiled as he turned to look at Taichi. "But I guess I can't complain."

"Neither can I," Taichi agreed as he looped his arm around Koushirou once more. "Even though, I would have never, ever predicted it, I wouldn't have it any other way."

~*~

EDITED A/N: Oh god, this thing is still so awful. Basically, I fixed grammar errors, run-ons and the like. And I tried to make the lemon scenes MUCH less awkward, but, inevitably, they're still awkward. I'm not crazy about the plot in general, but considering that a decent number of people have favorited this, I'm keeping it up. (Same with a lot of my stories.) If you liked it, that's cool, I guess. So yeah... read "Samson" instead. =D

Original A/N: IT'S FINALLY FINISHED! Haha, I started this story during a vacation while on winter break, handwriting everything up to where Koushirou and Taichi talk on the bench. Then I wrote a little during free time in school while I worked on my "Bokura no War Game" parody, and I've _finally_ finished this up in the last two snow days I've had. It's about time!

Anyways, the story ended a bit more humorously than I had intended... Actually, this story ended up being a lot _longer_ than I had intended. It's my longest one-shot yet! But hey, no one's complaining, right? I hope not!

Oh, and sorry if there are any grammar/spelling mistakes. It's hard to go over a 30-some page story late at night and catch everything. I'll go back over it again when I have more time. I just really wanted to get this up!

Well, now I can _finally_ get around to working on "Samson." Yay!

Thanks for reading!

P.S. Dude, that whole bit about how the Chosen Children and the two worlds would be _screwed_ without Kou-chan, it's so TRUE, isn't it!?


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